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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. key — the most important part
  12. drill — army training
  13. file — a line of people
  14. drill — a practice
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. content — happy
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. drill — the tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. lash — a whip stroke

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com